Cross, Tagovailoa, Demus preview 2021 Season

Maryland basked in Big Ten media day this week as head coach Mike Locksley unveiled his BCE mantra heading into year three. Following Locksley’s appearance on the Big Ten Network, a trio of Terps in safety Nick Cross, quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, and wide receiver Dontay Demus took in questions to set the stage for the 2021 season.

Cross, the veteran leader along the backline, has a new face to lean on with co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Brian Stewart back in College Park. “He's a great coach, you know. He has a lot of knowledge, you know, he's been a lot of places, he has years and years of knowledge and, you know, just great to sit down and talk to him and just, you know, pick his brain about certain things, certain techniques, certain defenses he likes to play, and he's a great guy,” Cross said on the Big Ten Network. “You can go into his office at any time and just, you know, talk to him about anything.” Cross will lead a secondary that took a big step in 2020, thanks to cornerbacks Tarheeb Still and Jakorian Bennett, but the imprint that Stewart has already left on the defense has been noticeable.

“He just told us, you know, make sure that you know, before you go, just make sure you know where you're going…make sure your eyes are clean, and make sure that, you know, it's not about how fast you get this but make sure you take the right angles, make sure that you, you know, can get there and, and make sure when you get there, you make a play. So it's all about hits and picks, make sure you get the ball out, ball disruption. That's all he talks about. So he's definitely big on those.”

It’s helped that the secondary has had reps against the offense through the offseason, including a deep receiver room that even Cross called “a handful.” Dontay Demus headlines a room that also features Jeshaun Jones, Brian Cobbs, Darryl Jones, DeaJaun McDougle, and Tai Felton. While the defense will look to step forward, there’s growing optimism that the Terps can establish a lethal passing attack. “Every day, we got to be on our P's and Q's, we got to make sure that we're on our assignments, we know our technique, we know our leverage and everything because, you know, they bring it every single day. You know, from top to bottom, you know, it's a very talented room, everybody brings something different to the table, you know, and Dontay [Demus] here, you know, he does it all, you know, all the receivers, they have had their little niche, but you know, the end of the day, they can play inside and outside.”

The help along the outside has given quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa an offseason to settle in once more with the skill players at his disposal. Entering his second year with the program, Tagovailoa is looking to Demus to help put together a big season. “Coming into this next season, me and Demus actually sat down and we talked about, you know, the next step, us taking the next step as an offense and us as a receiver and quarterback room,” Tagovailoa said. “And he took on a challenge and you know, he's the leader for the receivers and, you know, the whole receiver crew follows after him so he's got to continue to get better.”

Tagovailoa added that the biggest stride he made this offseason was maturing into a starting quarterback at the college level. “You know, after those games after last season, you know, it really matured me. And coach Locks and also coach Enos talked to me about, you know, there's responsibilities that comes with being a quarterback, first of all, and then being a starting quarterback at Maryland.”

A key difference on offense is the terminology used each day in practice. Former Cincinnati assistant Dan Enos joined the program as the new offensive coordinator, reuniting Tagovailoa with head coach Mike Locksley from their time together at Alabama. Returning to the terminology used inside the Crimson Tide facility has aided the development of Tagovailoa as he settles into the playbook, citing the added comfort within the offense. “I think it makes, you know, the whole change for him very comfortable. And, you know, I'm hearing the same things that I'm hearing so everything that he's teaching me is kind of familiar. I mean, our team, our offense will, you know, is surrounded by him. So he takes great leadership, a lot of offense and, you know, we all trust him,” Tagovailoa said.

When Maryland hosts West Virginia for a 3:30 PM kickoff on September 4, that Saturday will mark the first time that Tagovailoa basks in the fan atmosphere inside Maryland Stadium. That’s not a feat lost on him as the Terps look to build heading into year three under Mike Locksley.

“I mean, that'd be very cool. You know, last year, I didn't get the opportunity to play in a full capacity stadium at Maryland. So I think, you know, this upcoming year is going to be very exciting for me and I can't wait.”